It’s sort of complicated but I’ll try to lay it out. If someone wants to build a government housing project in your neighborhood, one of the points that the TDHCA had to take into consideration is the local state representative’s or state senator’s viewpoints, be it positive or negative. Rep. Riddle has been a fierce opponent of these projects in her district and has been quite effective at keeping them out . When HB3361 was originally filed by Rep. Harold Dutton (and the companion in the Senate, SB214 by Sen. Brian Birdwell), it removed the ability of the local state rep/senator to affect the decision process. Rep. Riddle was able to get this requirement back into the bill by amending it, making it “optional” for the local rep/senator to weigh in. If they chose not to, other criteria could be used in their place.

When the bill was approved by the House, as amended, and sent to the Senate, Sen. Birdwell substituted his original version, eliminating the ability of the local rep/senator to have a say in the process. Yes, it allows them so send in a letter but removes their viewpoint from the actual scoring system. In my opinion, that is a terrible idea, but it sailed through the Senate with hardly a blip. My senator, Sen. Larry Taylor, tried to amend it to allow the local state rep to have input, but found no support, and withdrew his amendment. So now it heads to a conference committee to hash out the differences.

I’ve taken a snapshot of the relevant differences between the two versions from the Senate analysis (click to enlarge):

Rep. Riddle is pleading for citizens to call Sen. Birdwell, Sen. Dan Patrick, and their state representatives and lobby them to allow their local reps/senators to have the ability to affect the outcome of decisions on where to place government housing projects. She has taken to Facebook to keep us apprised of the situation and in typical Riddle fashion, is loud and forceful in her arguments. Here are a few of her comments (note, these are taken from several days worth of her updates):

ALERT!! The biggest fight I have had, and continue to have, this Legislative Session is about the LOW INCOME HOUSING APARTMENT PROJECTS that try to come into your neighborhoods. For the 11 years I have been in office I have fought these projects. Yesterday, Sen. Birdwell (R) passed his bill that would eliminate the point system and the ability for me (or your State Rep and your State Sen. to object or approve these projects. To take away my voice takes away the voice of the people in my district. Sen. Larry Taylor(R) introduced an amendment to continue the point system and allow the State Representatives to have a voice. NOT ONE SENATOR – NOT EVEN ONE – stood with Sen. Taylor. This is so sad, it is so bad for our communities – I have kept some really bad actors out. On the other had I fought hard for a project for seniors ONLY in the Aldine Westfield area of my district that the folks really wanted. Now, unless we can win the battle in Conference Committee your voice will be silenced about how your tax money is being used regarding what is brought into your neighborhood to over crowd your schools, cause more traffic, increase crime, and stress the emergency services and police. Let your State Rep. know how you feel about this. Rep. Harold Dutton (D) has been my hero in this fight! Please thank Rep. Harold Dutton (D) who has taken a brave stand AGAINST having our voice silenced and has fought this battle with me side by side. Rep. Rep. Sylvestor Turner (D) and Rep. Patricia Harless (R) and Rep. Allen Fletcher (R) have been fight this battle with me. This is not about party – it is about allowing the voice of the people to he taken seriously or causing the voice of the people to be silenced. This silences all the State Reps – not just me – this silences all the people of Texas. Pray that we will be victorious in the Conference Committee – call your State Reps and your State Senators and let them know that if they silence your voice – you will silence theirs in the next election. Help us in this fight – make your voice known. Share this on your FB page – this is important for all the folks in Texas!!

Debbie Riddle James, it is a Republican Senator who is silencing your voice – his name is Sen. Birdwell (R) – it is a (D) Harold Dutton (D)) who is fighting to KEEP our voice heard. This is not about party. These Low Income Housing builders are very wealthy and very powerful – this is a serious fight – let your State Reps know where your stand and let your Senators know how you feel. Again, not one Senator – not even one – Republican or Democrat stood with Sen. Larry Taylor and his amendment that would allow the point system and our voice continue to be hard. Session ends May 27 – we are at the end of this fight and we must win – this is serious. Let the folks from the Gov. office on down know who you are and know that you vote.

Debbie Riddle James and Mark and Chris – I am saying Senator Larry Taylor is the ONLY Senator who stood up for us on this issue and received NO support from anyone else. If the Senators do NOT want to be part of the conversation about Low Income Housing – that is OK – just DO NOT take my voice away as a State Rep. Most of the other State Reps say the same thing. This the TDHCA Sunset bill. TDHCA is TX Dept of Housing and Community Affairs. This fight is not new – but this is the worst one yet on this issue – and if we do not win it will be bad news for all the good folks of Texas. Sen. Birdwell cussed me out on the floor of the Senate(bold added for emphasis) because he got some calls from my district – odd how some Senators resent hearing from tax payers!

Debbie Riddle Max, please understand this is not an (R) (D) issue – the three that have stood at my side on this are *(D’s) and a number of (R’s) but it is a Senate full of R’s that are stripping away our voice.

Debbie Riddle Connie, Birdwell and the Senators have large districts – and to get in the business of fighting these low income housing apartment projects can be time consuming and difficult – I do not have a problem with that – however I DO have a problem with their taking away our ability to have the voice of the people we represent as State Representative and they do that when they remove our ability to write letters positively or negatively. That, Connie, is the problem. Larry Taylor’s amendment was a good compromise and a solution – all the other Senators rejected the idea.

Debbie Riddle Susan, Birdwell iis a fine American and an honorable man – however he fundamentally believes that State Reps and State Senators should have no voice in this issue. He is only in his second session – I have been fighting this battle for 11 years – I think he does not fully understand the issue.l

Gerry Daly Antonini I have contacted Senator Patrick he supports the change that this bill brings. He said that the scoring letter will come from the local commissioners, city council, or whatever the local governing body is and not state representatives and senators. I don’t know what that means in the effort to stop this project. Probably not going to help us. What else can be done if the Bill is made law?

Lamar Casparis Debbie, please talk to Dan. He sees it differently believing that even though the reps loose the point(s) [which I don’t like] more representation will occur locally. I’m not close enough to the proposed legislation to know the end effect, but I want you to be involved and want your voice to count!

Debbie Riddle Lamar, I spoke with Dan – turning it over to the County Commissioners is not making it more local – all of us State Reps LIVE in our districts. NO county commissioner lives in my district or even close to my district. NOBODY knows my district better than me – I live there! Passing the buck and passing the responsibility will not work and does not work.

Debbie Riddle Lamar, I am working on a solution – but Birdwell who is only in his second legislative session is holding us hostage and says he will not budge. We are willing to let the senate take themselves out of the situation of writing a letter for or against with points but leave the House alone. He wants to dictate to both. I am still working,

I did try to contact Sen. Birdwell through the standard email form on his state website. Since I don’t know him and do not live in his district, I didn’t expect a reply and didn’t get one. I was surprised that he would curse out Rep. Riddle on the Senate floor. And Dan has been too busy for me to bother with him on this one, so I gave him a break and didn’t call. But I hope that Speaker Straus puts together a conference committee that understands Rep. Riddle’s concerns. And I will contact Rep. John Davis and Sen. Larry Taylor in hopes that they can help her.

This one is still winnable folks. Hey, if you want one of these projects in your neighborhood, then you can have them and your state rep should be able to help you get them. Or, in my case, I don’t want them in my neighborhood and my state rep should be able to help me stop them. Sen. Birdwell’s largest “urban” area, if you can call it that, is Waco. He has no idea of the types of problems we face in Harris County with these huge crime centers.

Rep. Debbie Riddle is right – let’s help her in this fight. Call today.